04 Staffing - Lecture notes by tutor/ lecturer Dr. Joshua Langat lessons one to six. PDF

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Lecture notes by tutor/ lecturer Dr. Joshua Langat lessons one to six....

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Staffing (Revised 29-07-2015) – Compiled by J. Langat

04 Staffing as a Management Function After an organization’s structural design is in place, it needs people with the right skills, knowledge, and abilities to fill in that structure. People are an organization’s most important resource, because people either create or undermine an organization’s reputation for quality in both products and service. In addition, an organization must respond to change effectively in order to remain competitive. The right staff can carry an organization through a period of change and ensure its future success. Because of the importance of hiring and maintaining a committed and competent staff, effective human resource management is crucial to the success of all organizations. Human resource management (HRM), or staffing, is the management function devoted to acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees. In effect, all managers are human resource managers, although human resource specialists may perform some of these activities in large organizations. Solid HRM practices can mould a company’s workforce into a motivated and committed team capable of managing change effectively and achieving the organizational objectives. Understanding the fundamentals of HRM can help any manager lead more effectively. Every manager should understand the following three principles: • All managers are human resource managers. • Employees are much more important assets than buildings or equipment; good employees give a company the competitive edge. • Human resource management is a matching process; it must match the needs of the organization with the needs of the employee.

Determining Human Resource Needs Staffing is an ongoing process that begins with finding the right people through proper planning, recruiting, and selecting. But staffing doesn’t end once employees are hired; management must keep and nurture its people via training, appraising, compensating, and implementing employment decisions that determine such things as promotions, transfers, and layoffs. Human Resource Planning The first step in the staffing process involves human resource planning. Human resource planning refers to the process by which organizations determine their current and future requirements of human resources in terms of number of people as well as the kind of people needed, and determine the ways and means of meeting these requirements. It is a process by which companies ensure that they have the right number and kinds of people at the right place, at the right time; capable of performing different jobs efficiently. It involves determining the manpower requirements of the organization in light of its operations, plans and strategies and organization structure. A rational estimate to various categories of personnel in the organisation is an important aspect of human resource planning. Specific steps of human resource planning include: 1. Analysis of Organisational Plans and Objectives: Human resource planning is a part of overall plan of organisation. Plans concerning technology, production, marketing, finance, expansion and diversification give an idea about the volume of future work activity. Each plan can further be analysed into sub-plans and detailed programmes. It is also necessary to decide the time horizon for which human resource plans are to be prepared. The future organisation structure and job design should be made clear and changes in the organisation structure should be examined so as to anticipate its manpower requirements.

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Staffing (Revised 29-07-2015) – Compiled by J. Langat

2. Forecasting Demand for Human Resources: Human resource planning starts with the estimation of the number and type of personnel required at different levels and in different departments. The Human Resource Development manager estimates the manpower requirement of the organisation. That is, he finds out how many people (manager and employer) will be required to do all the jobs in the organisation. Estimation of manpower requirements must be made in terms of quantity and quality. It is the most crucial and critical area of HRD. The HRD manager must pay attention to place the right person to the right job through recruitment selection Training and Placement of employees. This calls for the adoption of a systematic procedure to complete recruitment and selection. 3. Forecasting Supply of Human Resources: One of the important areas of human resource planning is to deal with allocation of persons to different departments depending upon the work-load and requirements of the departments. While allocating manpower to different departments, care has to be taken to consider appointments based on promotions and transfers. Allocation of human resource should be so planned that available manpower is put to full use to ensure smooth functioning of all departments. 4. Estimating Manpower Gaps: Net human resource requirements or manpower gaps can be identified by comparing demand and supply forecasts. Such comparison will reveal either deficit or surplus of human resources in future. Deficits suggest the number of persons to be recruited from outside whereas surplus implies redundant to be redeployed or terminated. Similarly, gaps may occur in terms of knowledge, skills and aptitudes. Employees deficient in qualifications can be trained whereas employees with higher skills may be given more enriched jobs. 5. Matching Demand and Supply: It is one of the objectives of human resource planning to assess the demand for and supply of human resources and match both to know shortages and surpluses on both sides in kind and in number. This will enable the human resource department to know overstaffing or understaffing. Once the manpower gaps are identified, plans are prepared to bridge these gaps. Plans to meet the surplus manpower may be redeployment in other departments and retrenchment in consultation, with the trade unions. People may be persuaded to quit through voluntarily retirement. Deficit can be met through recruitment, selection, transfer, promotion, and training plans. Realistic plans for the procurement and development of manpower should be made after considering the macro and micro environment which affect the manpower objectives of the organisation.

Job Analysis Human resource planning begins with a job analysis in which descriptions of all jobs (tasks) and the qualifications needed for each position are developed. A job description is a written statement of what a jobholder does, how it is done, and why it is done. It typically portrays job content, environment, and conditions of employment. The job specification states the minimum acceptable qualifications an incumbent must possess to perform a given job successfully. It identifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to do the job effectively. Job Analysis Defined: Job Analysis is the SYSTEMATIC process of collecting and making judgments about all the important information related to a job. Job analysis is the procedure through which you determine the duties and nature of the jobs and the kinds of people who should be hired for them. You can utilize the information it provides to write job descriptions and job specifications that are utilized in recruitment and selection, compensation, performance appraisal, and training.

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Staffing (Revised 29-07-2015) – Compiled by J. Langat

Reasons for Conducting Job Analysis A sound job analysis system is extremely critical for numerous reasons. • Staffing – All areas of staffing would be haphazard if the recruiter did not know the qualifications needed to perform the job. • Training and Development – if the specification suggests that the job requires a particular knowledge, skill, or ability – and the person filling the position does not possess all the qualifications required – training and/or development is probably in order. • Compensation and Benefits – The relative value of a particular job to the company must be known before a dollar value can be placed on it. From an internal perspective, the more significant its duties and responsibilities, the more the job is worth. • Safety and Health – Information derived from job analysis is also valuable in identifying safety and health considerations. • Employee and Labour Relations – Regardless of whether the firm is unionized, information obtained through job analysis can often lead to more objective human resource decisions. • Legal Considerations – having properly accomplished a job analysis is particularly important for supporting the legality of employment practices. Job Analysis Outcomes a.

Job Description

A job description is a written statement of what the jobholder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed. There is no standard format for writing job descriptions, but most descriptions include sections on: • • • • • • • b.

job identification job summary relationships, responsibilities, and duties authority of incumbent standards of performance working conditions job specifications Job Specification

A job specification is a document containing the minimum acceptable qualifications that a person should possess in order to perform a particular job. Items typically included in the job specification are educational requirements, experience, personality traits, and physical abilities. Human Resource Inventory Job analysis is then followed by a human resource inventory, which catalogues qualifications and interests. Next, a human resource forecast is developed to predict the organization’s future needs for jobs and people based on its strategic plans and normal attrition. The forecast is then compared to the inventory to determine whether the organization’s staffing needs will be met with existing personnel or whether managers will have to recruit new employees or terminate existing ones.

Recruitment This is the process of searching for and obtaining sufficient number and quality of potential job seekers or applicants to enable the organization to select the most appropriate people to fill its job needs. It is 3

Staffing (Revised 29-07-2015) – Compiled by J. Langat

pertinent to note that the process of recruitment must begin with a clear specification or understanding of manpower needs. It should consider the time that the manpower requirement must be met for instance the Labour market for fresh graduates with less than year experience in the National Youths Service. Labour market simply means an area where employers could easily get the type of workers they need to carry out relevant duties and employees are available to sell their labour or seek employment. Recruiting strategies Recruitment includes all the activities an organization may use to attract a pool of viable candidates. Recruiting strategies differ among organizations. Although one may instantly think of campus recruiting (through, say, PASAF) as a typical recruiting activity, many organizations use internal recruiting, or promote-from-within policies, to fill their high-level positions. Open positions are posted, and current employees are given preferences when these positions become available. Internal recruitment is less costly than an external search. It also generates higher employee commitment, development, and satisfaction because it offers opportunities for career advancement to employees rather than outsiders. If internal sources do not produce an acceptable candidate, many external recruiting strategies are available, including the following: Newspaper advertising; Employment agencies (private, public, or temporary agencies); Executive recruiters (sometimes called head-hunters); Unions; Employee referrals; Internship programmes; Internet employment sites. But there’s more to recruiting than just attracting employees; managers need to be able to weed out the top candidates. Once a manger has a pool of applicants, the selection process can begin. Selecting the Best Person for the Job Recruitment and Selection comprise the important HR functions of the organization and should be thought of as a matching process. Selection commences as soon as the applicant responds to an advertisement or makes an unsolicited enquiry. One way to look at the selection process is to view it as a series of obstacles that applicants must clear in order to obtain the job. Each successive obstacle eliminates some applicants from contention. For example, applicant skills can be evaluated through application forms, interviews, tests, and reference checks, letters of recommendation or reference, and physical examinations. Having the right people on staff is crucial to the success of an organization. Various selection devices help employers predict which applicants will be successful if hired. To judge the effectiveness of any selection technique two statistical concepts have been of particular importance, Reliability and Validity. • Validity is proof that the relationship between the selection device and some relevant job criterion exists. For example, it would be appropriate to give a cooking test to a candidate applying for a job as a chef. However, it would not be valid to give a cooking test to a candidate for a job as a driver. A driving test would be valid. • Reliability: Reliability is the consistency of measurement, or the degree to which an instrument measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition with the same subjects. In short, it is the repeatability of the measurement. We can illustrate it with the example, if an applicant was being interviewed by two managers for a job in two separate interviews, the interview technique should provide same data so that the interviewers agreed with each other about the applicant as an individual. If a keyboarding test is given to the same individual on two separate occasions, the results should be similar. Alternatively, if a number of candidates are given the same selection test, the test should provide consistent results concerning individual differences between candidates. To be effective predictors, a selection device must possess an acceptable level of consistency. 4

Staffing (Revised 29-07-2015) – Compiled by J. Langat

1. Application forms For most employers, the application form is the first step in the selection process. Application forms provide a record of salient information about applicants for positions, and also furnish data for personnel research. Interviewers may use responses from the application for follow-up questions during an interview. These forms range from requests for basic information, such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers, to comprehensive personal history profiles detailing applicants’ education, job experience skills, and accomplishments. 2. Testing Some jobs require specific skills. Skills test make sure your prospect has at least, a minimum level of skill for any required task. This could be a typing test, a writing test or even a math test. For some businesses, it could be a product assembly test. These tests must be valid and reliable. As a result, a manager needs to make sure that the test measures only job-relevant dimensions of applicants. Most tests focus on specific job-related aptitudes and skills, such as maths or motor skills. Typical types of exams include the following: Intelligence Tests: These are tests to measure one’s intellect or qualities of understanding. They are referred to as tests of mental ability. The traits of intelligence measured include: “reasoning, verbal and non-verbal fluency, comprehension, numerical, memory and spatial relations ability.” • Cognitive Ability Tests: Aptitude refers to one’s natural propensity or talent or ability to acquire a particular skill. While intelligence is a general trait, aptitude refers to a more specific capacity or potential. It could relate to mechanical dexterity, clerical, linguistic, musical academic etc. Most aptitude tests are standardised that they are not specific to any particular job. But they are general enough to be used in different job situations. OTIS Employment Test, Wesman Personal Classification Test are examples of general aptitude tests. Certain types of aptitude tests called psychomotor tests measure hand and eye co-ordination and manipulative skills. • Integrity Tests: Integrity tests assess attitudes and experiences related to a persons honesty, dependability, •

trustworthiness, reliability, and pro-social behaviour. These tests typically ask direct questions about previous experiences related to ethics and integrity OR ask questions about preferences and interests from which inferences are drawn about future behaviour in these areas. Integrity tests are used to identify individuals who are likely to engage in inappropriate, dishonest, and antisocial behaviour at work. • Personality Tests: Some commonly measured personality traits in work settings are extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to new experiences, optimism, agreeableness, service orientation, stress tolerance, emotional stability, and initiative or pro-activity. Personality tests typically measure traits related to behaviour at work, interpersonal interactions, and satisfaction with different aspects of work. Personality tests are often used to assess whether individuals have the potential to be successful in jobs where performance requires a great deal of interpersonal interaction or work in team settings.

Knowledge tests are more reliable than personality tests because they measure an applicant’s comprehension or knowledge of a subject. A maths test for an accountant and a weather test for a pilot are examples. Human relations specialists must be able to demonstrate that the test reflects the knowledge needed to perform the job. For example, a teacher hired to teach maths should not be given a keyboarding test. • Performance simulation tests are increasing in popularity. Based on job analysis data, they more easily meet the requirement of job relatedness than written tests. Performance simulation tests are made up of actual job behaviours. The best-known performance simulation test is known as work sampling, and other credible simulation processes are performed at assessment centres. •

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Staffing (Revised 29-07-2015) – Compiled by J. Langat •

An assessment is a selection technique that examines candidates’ handling of simulated job situations and evaluates a candidate’s potential by observing his or her performance in experiential activities designed to simulate daily work. o Assessment centres, where work sampling is often completed, utilize line executives, supervisors, or trained psychologists to evaluate candidates as they go through exercises that simulate real problems that these candidates would confront on their jobs. Activities may include interviews, problem-solving exercises, group discussions, and business-decision games. Assessment centres have consistently demonstrated results that accurately predict later job performance in managerial positions. o Work sampling is an effort to create a miniature replica of a job, giving applicants the chance to demonstrate that they possess the necessary talents by actually doing the tasks.

3. Interviews Interviews: A selection procedure designed to predict future job performance on the basis of applicants’ oral responses to oral inquiries. It is a formal, in-depth conversation conducted to evaluate an applicant’s acceptability. In general, the interviewer seeks to answer three broad questions: 1. Can the applicant do the job? 2. Will the applicant do the job? 3. How does the applicant compare with others who are being considered for the job? Interviews are popular because of their flexibility. They can be adapted to unskilled, skilled, managerial, and staff employees. They also allow a two-way exchange of information where interviewers can learn about the applicant and the applicant can learn about the employer. Interviews do have some shortcomings, however. The most noticeable flaws are in the areas of reliability and validity. Good reliability means that the interpretation of the interview r...